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Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

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Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith
File:Star wars episode three poster2.jpg
Directed byGeorge Lucas
Written byGeorge Lucas
Produced byRick McCallum,
George Lucas
StarringEwan McGregor,
Natalie Portman,
Hayden Christensen,
Ian McDiarmid
Music byJohn Williams
Distributed by20th Century Fox
Running time
140 min.
Budget$115,000,000

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is the third episode in the Star Wars film series by George Lucas. It was released on Thursday, May 19, 2005. A 3-D release is planned for 2007.

Template:Spoiler

Opening crawl

Episode III
REVENGE OF THE SITH
War! The Republic is crumbling
under attacks by the ruthless
Sith Lord, Count Dooku.
There are heroes on both sides.
Evil is everywhere.
In a stunning move, the
fiendish droid leader, General
Grievous, has swept into the
Republic capital and kidnapped
Chancellor Palpatine, leader of
the Galactic Senate.
As the Separatist Droid Army
attempts to flee the besieged
capital with their valuable
hostage, two Jedi Knights lead a
desperate mission to rescue the
captive Chancellor....

Cast

Official Cast Listing


Non-Credited roles


Plot summary

File:01724.jpeg
Battle of Coruscant

The Galactic Republic is crumbling in the midst of an epic war with the Confederacy of Independent Systems under the leadership of the Sith Lord, Count Dooku. The Confederate cyborg military leader General Grievous has swept into Coruscant and captured Chancellor Palpatine.

As the droid army attempts to escape Coruscant, a huge space battle erupts with Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi leading a mission to rescue the Chancellor. The Jedi fight through the Separatist armada. In the process, Obi-Wan’s ship is damaged and the two Jedi crash into the hangar of the Trade Federation Cruiser, The Invisible Hand, the flagship of the Confederacy.

Anakin and Obi-Wan make their way through the Federation Cruiser, fighting through an army of droids. They reach the room where Chancellor Palpatine is being held captive by Count Dooku. A lightsaber battle ensues, with the two Jedi teaming up against Dooku. During the battle, Obi-Wan is rendered unconscious. Anakin continues the battle, gaining the upper hand and cutting off Dooku's hands. With Dooku on his knees, Anakin holds his and Dooku's lightsabers to Dooku's neck. With encouragement from Palpatine, Anakin beheads the helpless Count.

The Republic Venator-class Star Destroyer Guarlara launches a final broadside attack that mortally wounds the ship, and it begins to descend uncontrolled into Coruscant. Anakin carries the unconscious Obi-Wan on his back, and maneuvers through the ship with Palpatine. Obi-Wan later regains consciousness.

The three are captured by General Grievous. R2-D2 creates a distraction, allowing the Jedi to retrieve their lightsabers and break free. However, Grievous manages to escape, as well as release all the remaining escape pods. As the ship descends in a free-fall into Coruscant, Anakin takes the controls and pilots the ship into a hard landing.

On Coruscant, Anakin is praised for his heroics. He meets secretly with his wife, Padmé. They share kisses in the shadows, keeping their love secret. She reveals to him that she is pregnant.

Later, Anakin awakens in a panic, covered in sweat. He reveals to Padmé that he has been dreaming about her dying in childbirth, and he vows not to let this dream come true.

Chancellor Palpatine requests Anakin's presence, and they meet in the Chancellor's office. The Senate has granted the Chancellor further emergency war powers, giving him direct control of the Jedi Council. Palpatine confides to Anakin his fear, distrust, and contempt of the Jedi. He appoints Anakin to be his personal representative on the Jedi Council.

The Jedi Council accepts Anakin's appointment, but does not grant him the rank of Jedi Master. Anakin reacts angrily, insisting he is more powerful than anyone else on the Council. The Council goes on to discuss matters concerning the war. It is decided that Anakin will be assigned to protect the Chancellor, and Yoda will take a battalion of clones to reinforce the Wookiees on Kashyyyk. Anakin is angry and disappointed.

Obi-Wan later tells Anakin that the Jedi Council wants him to report on all the Chancellor's dealings, essentially spying on him. Anakin is outraged, but accepts the mission.

At the Galaxies Opera House in Coruscant, Anakin joins Palpatine in watching the Mon Calamari Ballet performing “Squid Lake”. Palpatine continues to subtly manipulate Anakin, making him mistrust the Jedi. He also tells him of Darth Plagueis, a Sith Lord that used the Force to save people from death, but whose apprentice killed him in his sleep. Palpatine says the ability to save people from death is something that can be learned, but not from a Jedi.

The Jedi Council receives word from Palpatine that General Grievous is on the planet of Utapau. They decide to send Obi-Wan to Utapau. Anakin is upset that he was not chosen instead.

Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi with his lightsaber held high, ready to engage General Grievous in battle

Obi-Wan arrives on Utapau and searches for General Grievous, riding a lizard-like creature called a varactyl. This particular one is named Boga. He finds Grievous and the two erupt in battle, with Grievous using four lightsabers at once. Grievous attempts to flee on a Wheel Bike, and Obi-Wan pursues astride on Boga. During the chase, Obi-Wan drops his lightsaber.

On Coruscant, Anakin tells Palpatine that General Grievous has been found by Obi-Wan on Utapau. Anakin insists he should be on Utapau as well. Their conversation shifts to Palpatine's knowledge of the Force, and it is revealed that he is the Sith Lord, Darth Sidious. Upon realizing this, Anakin ignites his lightsaber and threatens to kill Palpatine, but then decides to expose him to the Jedi Council.

Obi-Wan continues to chase General Grievous on Utapau. He catches up with the General, and the two engage in melee combat. Obi-Wan manages to grab and rip off General Grievous's loose chestplate, exposing the living organs in his chest. Obi-Wan retrieves the droid's blaster and shoots the General in the chest, causing him to explode from the inside out, killing him.

Anakin tells Mace Windu that Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord who they have been looking for. Anakin offers to help in Palpatine’s arrest, but Windu urges him to stay out of it.

Through the Force, Palpatine speaks to Anakin, telling him that if he dies, Padmé will die in childbirth. Palpatine tells him that only with his help can she be saved. Anakin rushes to Palpatine.

Mace Windu, accompanied by Saesee Tiin, Kit Fisto, and Agen Kolar, arrive at Chancellor Palpatine's office to have the Chancellor arrested. Palpatine pulls a lightsaber out of his sleeve and lunges, quickly stabbing Agen through the chest. He pulls his lightsaber out of Kolar's chest and then slashes Saesee Tiin. He continues to duel Mace and Kit Fisto but eventually kills Kit by slashing him in the back and head too. Palpatine and Mace continue to fight down the hallway and into the main office area. Meanwhile, Anakin arrives at the scene and watches the duel. Mace knocks Palpatine's lightsaber from his hand, smashing the window of the Chancellor's Office, and Palpatine falls to the ground. At this point Palpatine asks Anakin for help, saying he was right about the Jedi wanting to depose him and take over (it is unclear whether the Sith Lord is playing weak and old at this point, to draw Anakin to his aid). As Mace tells the Sith Lord he has failed, Palpatine blasts Force lightning at the Jedi Master but Mace deflects it back onto Palpatine with his lightsaber, distorting his face.

Anakin demands that Mace give Palpatine up for trial but Mace refuses, saying that the Sith Lord controls the courts and must be killed. Palpatine begs for Anakin's help, saying only he can save the one Anakin loves, and just as Mace is about to finish Palpatine, Anakin cuts off Mace's hand. Mace is caught off guard and is hit by a resurgence of Palpatine's Force lightning. He is flung out the window and falls hundreds of stories to his death.

File:Revenge-of-the-sith-lg-01.jpg
Anakin Skywalker begins transforming into Darth Vader

Anakin is distraught with what he has done, and confides in Palpatine. Palpatine takes Anakin as his Sith apprentice. Anakin kneels before Palpatine, saying he will do whatever he asks so long as the Sith Lord helps him save his wife. Palpatine bestows upon him the Sith name Darth Vader.

Palpatine gives the order to all Clone troopers of the Army of the Republic around the galaxy to execute Order 66, while Vader is given his first assignment: the destruction of the Jedi Temple, which marks the early beginnings of the Galactic Civil War. Across the Galaxy, the Clone troopers turn against their Jedi Generals. Ki-Adi-Mundi gets killed by his troops. Aayla Secura gets shot in the back by Bly. Plo Koon's Jedi Starfighter gets shot down. Stass Allie dies when her speeder bike explodes. On Utapau Obi-Wan barely survives while the Clone Troopers who attempt to assassinate Yoda on Kashyyyk find themselves decapitated by the powerful Jedi Master.

At night, Darth Vader marches to the Jedi Temple with a battalion of Clone troopers. He moves through the Temple, striking down all the Jedi he comes across, including the younglings.

Later, Vader goes to Padmé, who sees the smoke rising from the Jedi Temple but does not know what is happening. He tells her the Jedi have tried to take over the Republic, and there are traitors in the Senate. He tells her that he will go to the Mustafar system, where the Separatist Council has gathered after evacuating Utapau, and he will end the war.

Bail Organa, one of the few senators who has resisted Palpatine's influence over the Galactic Senate, rescues both Obi-Wan and Yoda. He drops them off at the Jedi Temple before heading to the Senate where Palpatine tells them of the plot of the Jedi to overthrow the Senate. Amidst thunderous applause, he announces that the Republic will be reorganized as the first Galactic Empire.

File:Yoda1.jpg
Jedi Master Yoda does battle with clone troopers outside the Jedi Temple

The two Jedi Masters go to the Jedi Temple, where the Clone troopers find themselves no match for Yoda's mastery of the Force and his lightsaber skills. They walk past the carnage in the Temple, including a group of young Padawans cut down by a lightsaber. They dismantle a signal calling for all remaining Jedi to return to the Temple and reconfigure it to warn all Jedi to keep away. At the Temple's control center, Obi-Wan looks into the security recordings. In disbelief, he sees Vader slaughtering the Jedi (including Younglings) and then kneeling down to Palpatine. Yoda says they have no choice but to destroy the Sith. Obi-Wan still cares for Anakin and offers to instead dispatch the Emperor, however Yoda tells him he is not a match for the Sith's dark powers and that he will deal with him.

On Mustafar, Vader slaughters the Separatist Council in cold blood.

Obi-Wan goes to Padmé's apartment, looking for Vader. He meets Padmé and tells her that he has turned to the Dark Side and killed the younglings in the Jedi Temple. Padmé realizes what Obi-Wan intends to do and will not reveal where Anakin has gone, as he is her husband and the father of her child. Obi-Wan deduces this without Padmé telling him, apologizes, and leaves.

Later, Padmé leaves Coruscant in her Naboo Skiff, departing to Mustafar to see Anakin. Unbeknownst to her, Obi-Wan secretly boards the ship just before it takes off.

The Naboo Skiff lands on Mustafar. Vader and Padmé embrace. He tells Padmé that he has brought peace to the Republic, and that he can overthrow Palpatine so he and Padmé can rule the galaxy together. Horrified, Padmé realises that Obi-Wan's story was true. Padmé tells him he is going down a path she cannot follow.

Vader sees Obi-Wan emerge from the Naboo Skiff. Now evil and enraged, after calling Padmé a "liar", he uses the Force to choke her, thinking she led him there. She loses consciousness and Vader releases his grip on her. Obi-Wan and Vader break out into a ferocious, lengthy lightsaber duel.

File:Sidslightning.jpg
Palpatine attacks Yoda with Dark Side lightning

In the Senate building, Yoda confronts Palpatine, finally recognizing him as more then just a leader in the Senate. The Sith Lord blasts the diminutive Jedi Master with Force lightning but Yoda recovers and Force-throws Palpatine across the room. Palpatine attempts to flee but Yoda blocks his path and they engage in a fast and furious lightsaber battle, bringing them to the deserted main area of the Senate chamber.

Yoda and Palpatine then undertake a Force battle, hurling Senate pods at each other, before the Sith Lord once more engages Yoda with Force lightning. In a battle of wills an explosion of Force powers occurs, blasting them apart, Palpatine barely clinging to the Senate pod while Yoda falls to the floor. With Bail Organa's help, Yoda manages to escape.

The epic lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader brings them to many locations on Mustafar, crossing lava on a small platform. Eventually, Obi-Wan gains the high ground and clinches the battle due to favourable positioning. They both know Obi-Wan has the upper hand, and Obi-Wan pleads his former Padawan not to advance saying "It's over Anakin. I have the high ground." Despite this, Vader arrogantly ignores his disadvantageous stance and charges at Obi-Wan, who in the blink of an eye cuts off both of Vader's legs at the knees, as well as his left arm. Vader tumbles down the embankment and rolls to a stop at the edge of the lava. Obi-Wan tells him that he was like a brother to him and that he loved him, and that he was the Chosen One, the one who was destined to destroy the Sith, not join them. Vader's proximity to the molten river causes him to burst into flames. His lasts words to Obi-Wan before bursting into flames are, "I HATE YOU!". He suffers massive, scarring burns that mangle his physical features.

Obi-Wan takes Vader's lightsaber and leaves with the badly-injured Padmé and the droids on the Naboo Skiff.

Palpatine arrives at Mustafar with a squad of Clone troopers. They rescue Darth Vader from the edge of death.

Obi-Wan arrives at Polis Massa and Padmé is brought to medical assistance. She is dying, not from bad health but from a lack of will to live. They work to save her babies—she has twins: a boy and a girl. While dying, Padmé gives them the names Luke and Leia. With Padmé's last breath, she says there is still good in Vader, and then dies.

File:SW3vader.png
Darth Vader's mask is placed on him for the first time.

Occurring simultaneously with the birth of his children, Vader is given a special suit. On Coruscant, at a secret reconstruction lab, Vader is given a new artificial body (which includes new legs and a new arm). He is dressed in black armor, a face mask is sealed tightly, and his helmet is fitted. He begins to breathe.

Darth Vader regains consciousness. He asks what happened to Padmé. Palpatine responds, "It seems, in your anger, you killed her." Furious with grief, Vader unleashes a massive scream and unleashes his Force powers in a rage that distorts and destroys the droids in the room.

On the Tantive IV blockade runner, Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Bail Organa sit at a conference table. They agree to keep the children safe and hidden. Luke and Leia will be split up in hopes that the Sith would not sense their presence. Leia will be adopted by Bail Organa, and Luke will be sent to his family on Tatooine. Obi-Wan and Yoda will watch and wait until the time is ready for the Skywalker children to do their part. Yoda tells Obi-Wan to study the technique Qui-Gon learned to achieve immortality.

Bail Organa leaves R2-D2 and C-3PO in the care of Captain Antilles of the Tantive IV. He orders a memory wipe of the protocol droid.

On Naboo, Padmé's funeral takes place in a solemn ceremony.

Yoda goes into hiding to begin his self-imposed exile.

File:Vaderrots.png
Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine watch the construction of the first Death Star

On the bridge of a Star Destroyer, Emperor Palpatine and Governor Tarkin are joined by Darth Vader, watching the beginning of the construction of the first Death Star.

On Alderaan, the infant Leia is brought by Bail Organa to his wife, the Queen of Alderaan. She takes her and rocks her.

On Tatooine, Obi-Wan brings the baby Luke Skywalker to his new family: Owen and Beru, his step-uncle and aunt. They look out to the horizon and watch the setting of Tatooine's twin suns.

Soundtrack

Track listing

  1. "Star Wars and The Revenge of the Sith"
  2. "Anakin's Dream"
  3. "Battle of the Heroes"
  4. "Anakin's Betrayal"
  5. "General Grievous"
  6. "Palpatine's Teachings"
  7. "Grievous and the Droids"
  8. "Padmé's Ruminations"
  9. "Anakin vs. Obi-Wan"
  10. "Anakin's Dark Deeds"
  11. "Enter Lord Vader"
  12. "The Immolation Scene"
  13. "Grievous Speaks to Lord Sidious"
  14. "The Birth of the Twins and Padmé's Destiny"
  15. "A New Hope and End Credits"

Release and box office performance

Revenge of the Sith premiered at the Cannes Film Festival (out of competition) on 15 May, 2005. It was released in most other countries on 19 May. It is believed the premiere of Revenge of the Sith may have cost the US economy approximately USD $627 million because of employees who took a day off or reported in sick.

A copy of the movie leaked into p2p file sharing networks just hours after opening in theaters. The movie was a time-stamped workprint, suggesting it may have come from within the industry rather than from someone who videotaped an advance screening. It is widely spread and available in popular p2p networks.

The film earned an estimated $16.5 million from 2,900 midnight screenings in North America upon its release. In total, it earned a record $50 million on its opening day. This broke several box office records:

According to the box office prediction and analysis site Box Office Mojo, Revenge of the Sith has set domestic records for highest gross in a given number of days for each of at least its first twelve days of release except for the seventh and eighth, where the record is narrowly held by Spider-Man 2.

On Tuesday, June 7, it surpassed Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones in total domestic box office receipts (which were over $310 million), and after 21 July, it ranked 8th all-time with nearly $375 million, making it easily the most popular (and most succesful) movie of 2005 so far.

It totalled $158.5 million in its first four-day period, surpassing the previous four-day record held by The Matrix Reloaded ($134.3 million) and making it the second highest grossing movie of 2005 after just four days in release (behind Hitch, $177.6 million, which it passed on its fifth day). It joins Spider-Man and The Matrix Reloaded as the only movies to make $100 million in three days. It became the only film to tie Spider-Man 2 's record of eight days to $200 million, and with $25,088,336 in its third weekend (June 3-5) it had passed $300 million on Saturday, its 17th day, surpassing the record of 18 days held by Shrek 2.It was the third fastest (after Shrek 2 and Spider-Man) to reach $350 million.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was released in 115 countries. Worldwide after its tenth weekend it had reached over $789 million, ranking 15th all-time.

Reaction

The film garnered mostly positive reviews, especially in comparison to the two previous prequels. Compared to the 63% and 65% received by Episodes I and II, Episode III garnered a respectable 82% at review site rottentomatoes.com and has the second-highest rating of any 2005 releases at boxofficemojo.com (after Batman Begins). Some critics have noted that they view it to be the best of the prequels, other reviewers have judged it to be the best Star Wars film since Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Many critics asserted George Lucas's continued weakness with dialogue in general, and with the romantic plot-line in particular. On the other hand, Hayden Christensen's depiction of a more mature Anakin Skywalker and his slow descent to the Dark Side received favoured responses. Various critics have made note that they feel that actors did a better job in general; though as with earlier prequels, they have felt that Lucas did not draw out the potential of Natalie Portman's performance. But unlike its predecessors, these two flaws are seen as minor and of no consequence.

Selected plot elements

Cinematic and Literary Allusions

Throughout Revenge of the Sith Lucas cleverly refers to a wide range of films and other sources drawing on political, military and mythological motifs to enhance the impact of his story. Early on Anakin's execution of Dooku mimics the scissor-beheadings of Ridley Scott's film Gladiator, and the subsequent run across the elevator shaft walls while the spaceship is falling in battle echoes the disastrous situations of The Poseidon Adventure.

General Grevious and Darth Vader both act and look very much like Marvel comic book supervillain Dr. Doom. Furthermore, Vader's backstory very closely mimics that of Dr. Doom. Grevious' nickname for Obi-Wan Kenobi --"The Negotiator"-- could be a reference to co-star Samuel L. Jackson's 1998 film of the same name or to Roger Smith, the Batman-like protagonist of the anime series The Big-O.

Palpatine's fears of a Jedi coup d'etat are comparable to the plot of the John Frankenheimer thriller Seven Days in May, while his actions of converting Anakin to the Dark Side and motivating him to assasinate his political enemies in order to aid his ascent to dictatorial powers are more close to the content of Frankenheimer's previous film, The Manchurian Candidate. Also, in both films, the brainwashed assasin eventually murders --or is led to believe he has murdered-- his own wife. In Frankenheimer's film, the wife is the daughter of an ACLU card-carying liberal senator. In Lucas' film, the wife herself is a liberal senator.

Palpatine's appearance and actions are also reminiscent of Dr. Mabuse, particularly as portrayed by German actor Rudolph Klein-Rogge in director Fritz Lang's films. Anakin also bears a resemblance to a villainous character played by Klein-Rogge from a film by Lang --the mad scientist Rotwang from the classic film Metropolis. Both Anakin and Rotwang wear a menacing leather glove on one hand and concentrate on saving --or ressurecting-- a lost loved one. Also, Rotwang builds the android whose appearance heavily influenced the image of Lucas' C-3PO, who was built, in The Phantom Menace, by Anakin.

Lucas' editing schemes during Order-66, the slaughter of the Sepratists and the declaration of the Galactic Empire is reminiscient of the montage of massacres during the christening scene of The Godfather, a film directed by mentor Francis Ford Coppola, and a film which features several scenes edited by Lucas himself, particularly the aforementioned montages.

Palpatine's scheming manipulations of Anakin have been compared by many, including Ian McDiarmid himself, to those of Iago, the villain of Shakespeare's Othello. In Othello, the title character is led to believe by Iago that his wife has committed adultery with his confidante and lieutenant. In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin comes to believe that his wife, Padmé, has betrayed him to his former master, Obi-Wan.

Political connotations

Since early viewings, many have stated that there is a critique of President George W. Bush in the film. Examples cited included Darth Vader's line to Obi-Wan Kenobi, "If you're not with me, then you're my enemy!" This remark echoes Bush's remark that other nations are "either with us or with the terrorists" in the "war on terrorism" after the September 11th terrorist attacks (which in turn echoes Matthew 12:30). Film critic David Edelstein even coined a term, Darth Dubyous, in response to this.

Much of the visual content of the film also alludes to a post-9/11 world, rich with paranoia and conspiracy theories. The assault on the Jedi Temple very clearly resembles the attack on the World Trade Center, and much of the skyline of Coruscant in various scenes resembles New York iconography. When Padmé tells Anakin about the attack on the Jedi Temple --"You can see the smoke from here!"-- echoing reactions to 9/11, there is a building in the distance that is a near carbon-copy of the Empire State Building. Furthermore, many have seen the character of Count Dooku as an Osama bin Laden-eque terrorist who secretly reports and obeys the political leader he claims to be an enemy to.

In various interviews George Lucas has repeatedly denied that current political events influenced the movie's script, while subtly implying that there is still a basis for comparison. Rather, he claimed he wrote the basic story outline in the 1970s during the Vietnam War, thinking of President Richard Nixon. Lucas stated at Cannes that "the parallels between what we did in Vietnam and what we're doing in Iraq now are unbelievable." Lucas added that in more general terms, his story represents how any democracy can turn into a dictatorship with the consent of the people, such as in the cases of Caesar Augustus and Napoleon I of France.

Some of the events of the film indeed mirror real landmarks of Adolf Hitler's takeover of Germany. The Great Jedi Purge and Palpatine's secret betrayal of his Separatist Council allies that resulted in their deaths at the hands of his apprentice, Darth Vader, on Mustafar, are very much like the Night of the Long Knives when Heinrich Himmler's SS troops attacked the rival SA and killed Ernst Röhm and other leaders, thus eliminating the last serious threat to Hitler's power. The Senate's vote to give even more power to Palpatine which resulted in the reorganization of the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire afterwards, which prompts Padme's observation, "so this is how liberty dies — with thunderous applause", echoes the Enabling Act passed by the German Reichstag to thunderous applause, a month after the Reichstag fire, ceding what power it had left to the Nazi government.

Still, some conservatives have denounced the film, accusing Lucas of promoting his liberal political views; or even agreeing with one conservative, Jonathan Last, who wrote after Episode II that he saw the Empire as the true heroes.

Orson Scott Card, at the religious news site Beliefnet, accused Lucas through the Jedi of promoting moral relativism and elitism in language similar to that long used by right-wingers to denigrate their opposite numbers:

"By and large ... they decide among themselves what they're going to do and when its OK to break the law and defy the civilian authority, ...
They are, in fact, utterly anti-democratic, like a militia that owes nothing to civilian authority ... [N]one of their discussions as a council are devoted to considering what is right and wrong ... [They are] a privileged few, who get to decide whats best for everybody else and then enforce their own rules, all in the name of "the Force."
[Y]ou could read it, as a conflict between the entrenched aristocracy trying to preserve their monopoly on power, and an ambitious upstart, who is determined to break that monopoly and take control for himself."

Card's argument, however, conflicts with some key content of the film. Early on during a night at an operahouse, an increasingly suspicious Palpatine tells Anakin that "Good is a point of view." Later, while fighting to the death with Obi-Wan, Anakin --now rechristined as Sith Lord Darth Vader-- echoes this sentiment: "From my point of view the Jedi are evil." These statements by the Sith can be interpreted in the light of Obi-Wan's line in Return of the Jedi—"Many of the truths we cling to depend greatly upon our own point of view"—a relativist sentiment that Obi-Wan also expresses in Revenge of the Sith in the line, "Only a Sith deals in absolutes." However, Obi-Wan's response to Anakin's "from my point of view the Jedi are evil" is the remark, "then you truly are lost", a decidedly non-relativist statement.

The decision of Windu and the other Jedi Council members to take matters into their own hands and arrest Palpatine themselves, then rule the Republic until the Senate can re-establish democracy, could be argued to be what is, in essence, a military coup.

Some have argued that Mace Windu's voiceing distrust of a leader who has been granted far too many war powers and "stayed well beyond his term limit" is an alusion to Colin Powell (the only man in Bush's Cabinet to have seen combat) and his decision to leave the White House.

The circumstances of the Great Jedi Purge also are similar to those which surrounded the demise of the Knights Templar in 1307. A secret order was suddenly unveiled, and was mostly vanquished by the day's end by opposing forces.

The election of Pope Benedict XVI had also been a very popular subject at the time of the movie release and the new Pope had been earlier accused (as a Cardinal) of excessively limiting room for dissent in the Church. Comparisons with Palpatine, whom the Pope has been said to resemble, have therefore become quite common.

Lastly, the Confederacy's Trade Federation flagship, The Invisible Hand, could be argued to be a reference to "the Invisible Hand of the Marketplace", a metaphoric force said to bring stability and efficiency to markets.

Mirroring/Reference of original Star Wars Trilogy

File:ROTSteaser.jpg
Teaser poster for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

As the last theatrical Star Wars film, Revenge of the Sith contains many elements that make reference to the original film Trilogy and George Lucas's earlier script treatments.

  • The title is a reprise of an early working title of Return of the Jedi, "Revenge of the Jedi", which was altered by Lucas with the rationale that Jedi do not take revenge.
  • Revenge of the Sith opens with a space battle between Republic and Confederacy navies, the first time in a Star Wars film since A New Hope.
  • The first line spoken in Episode IV is "Did you hear that?" by C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), on the Tantive IV. The last line spoken in Episode III is "Oh no!", also by C-3PO, played by the same actor, also on that ship.
  • After fighting and defeating Anakin, Obi-Wan picks up Anakin's lightsaber before leaving. This lightsaber is later given to Luke in Episode IV.
  • When Obi-Wan and Yoda return to the Jedi Temple and discover the corpses of their fellow Jedi, closer inspection of the bodies reveals that not all of them were killed by Clone troopers, that a lightsaber was used as well, implicating one of the Jedi as a betrayer. Obi-Wan decides to look at the security holograms despite Yoda's warning that he will find it painful, and he is dumbstruck to find Anakin led the massacre. This is paralleled in Episode IV when Luke, Obi-Wan and the droids come upon the ruins of the Jawas' sandcrawler and find all of them slaughtered. Luke at first suspects the Sandpeople, but Obi-Wan's closer inspection shows that Imperial Stormtroopers were actually responsible. Luke realizes what this means and races home, despite Obi-Wan's warning that it is too dangerous.
  • In the original Star Wars script treatment, the climactic battle was between Wookiees and Imperial forces as in Revenge of the Sith. This was adapted for Episode VI as the Battle of Endor between Ewoks and Imperial Stormtroopers.
  • Vader's offer to Padmé to join him and rule the Empire mirrors Vader's offer to Luke in Episode V.
  • In convincing him that the Jedi are trying to oust him as Chancellor, Palpatine urges Anakin to "search your feelings...you know, don't you?" This mirrors Episode V, in which Vader convinces Luke that he is his father, urging the boy to "search your feelings. You know it to be true."
  • Anakin's prophetic vision leads him on the path to the Dark Side. Luke's vision in Episode V tempts him to take a similar path, though he resists the temptation.
  • Palpatine watches as his current apprentice (Count Dooku) and his intended new apprentice (Anakin) duel to the death, while behind them can be seen a massive space fleet battle, as in Return of the Jedi.
  • Anakin is conflicted to choose between Palpatine and a fellow Jedi, as in Return of the Jedi.
  • Anakin says, "From my point of view, the Jedi are evil." In Return of the Jedi, Obi-Wan tells Luke, "You're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
  • Obi-Wan and Anakin duel in front of a window with a striking resemblance to the window seen behind Luke and Vader in their duel on Cloud City in The Empire Strikes Back.
  • Obi-Wan's lightsaber in Episode III is modeled exactly after the prop Alec Guinness used in A New Hope.
  • The final shot of Owen and Beru holding Luke and looking into the Tatooine twin sunset mirrors a similar scene with Luke in A New Hope. The music is also the same in both cases (the Force Theme).
  • Just before Darth Vader and the Emperor survey the partially built Death Star, we can see a slightly younger Tarkin. According to some, a younger Captain Needa can be seen in the crewpit.
  • When Anakin and Obi-Wan are approaching the Senate after saving Palpatine, a YT-1300 Corellian Transport, confirmed by the official Star Wars website (and George Lucas) as a purposeful copy of the Millennium Falcon, is one of the ships which touch down on Coruscant.
  • During the Force lightning battle between Mace Windu and Palpatine, Anakin looks on for a moment then turns on Windu. In Return of the Jedi, as he watches Luke being attacked with Force lightning the same way by Palpatine, Vader looks on for a moment but then decides to kill Palpatine, rectifying his mistake from Revenge of the Sith.
  • In the beginning of the movie while flying a starfighter on the way to rescue Palpatine, Anakin says, "This is where the fun begins." Han Solo says the exact same line in A New Hope while escaping Imperial Star Destroyers in the Millenium Falcon.
  • Palpatine closes his eyes and tells Anakin, "I can feel your anger." He is given the same line, directed at Luke, in Return of the Jedi.
  • The formation of Star Destroyers at the end is similar to the scene where the Imperial fleet assembles in The Empire Strikes Back.
  • Obi-Wan says "So uncivilized!" after he kills General Grievous with a blaster. In A New Hope he tells Luke that a lightsaber is "not as clumsy or random as a blaster ... an elegant weapon, from a more civilized age."
  • The scene where Mace has his blade at Palpatine's throat is similar to that when Vader has his blade at Luke's throat in The Empire Strikes Back.
  • Vader sustains severe injuries, and lies, defeated, after a duel. He is then rescued by someone who senses him through the Force. He is given temporary care, then given cybernetic limbs. The same happens to Luke in The Empire Strikes Back.
  • When Obi-Wan makes his rendezvous with the Tantive IV, the ship he is flying is swallowed up by the Tantive IV's underbelly. This echoes the ultimate fate of the Tantive IV itself in the opening scenes of A New Hope.
  • The droids that flee Vader as he enters the Separatist control room appear to be predecessors of the "mouse droids" that appear on Imperial ships in the original Trilogy.
  • Darth Vader's rather vocal scream of "NOOO!!" upon learning of Padmé's death has been widely lampooned and criticised as campy and inappropriate following the release of the film. Luke's rather vocal scream of "NOOO!" upon learning that Darth Vader is his father was also similarly lampooned and poorly received during its release in 1980. In fact, an actor screams this line in every Star Wars movie.
  • While on Kashyyyk the Republic Army is seen scouting for Jedi using one-manned vehicles similar to the AT-STs used by Imperial Forces on Endor in Return of the Jedi.
  • Wookiees from Kashyyyk rip out droids from vehicles during the Trade Federation's invasion. Later the Republic kills the Wookiees. In Return of the Jedi, Chewbacca rips out Imperial forces from their AT-STs, avenging his fallen comrades.
  • Early TIE fighters are seen, however do not use solar panels as wings. The Advanced Jedi Starfighters piloted by Anakin and Obi-Wan also resemble the classic TIE design, especially that of Vader's personal TIE fighter in A New Hope.
  • Clone pilots fly what appears to be a predecessor of the X-wing—one even gives the order to "set s-foils in attack position", as in A New Hope and Return of the Jedi.

Trivia

  • This is the only Star Wars film to receive a PG-13 rating from the MPAA; all previously released films in the series were rated PG. Interestingly, A New Hope was originally rated G, but its rating was deliberately pushed up in order to attract a broader audience.
  • Bai Ling filmed minor scenes for the film playing the role of a senator, but her role was cut during editing. She claimed that this was because she posed for the June 2005 issue of Playboy magazine, whose appearance on newstands coincided with the movie's May release, but George Lucas denied this, stating that the cut had been made more than a year earlier, and that he had cut out his own daughter's scenes as well.
  • Grauman's Chinese Theatre, a traditional venue for the Star Wars films, did not show it. However, a line of people stood there for more than a month hoping to convince someone to change this. Most of them took advantage of an offer to see the film at a nearby cinema, the Arclight.
  • This is the only time you see two lightsabres of the same colour (blue) battle (Anakin and Obi-Wan's). One could also consider the lightsabre duel between Obi-Wan and Grievous, the latter wielding green and blue lightsabres.
  • In Episode VI, Princess Leia tells Luke that her "real" mother, who died when she was very young, was very beautiful, kind but sad. Since Padmé dies almost immediately after childbirth, Leia might be thinking of the Queen of Alderaan as her real mother. Alternatively, Leia's Force-sensitivity might provide her with genuine memories of Padmé.
  • Being six-foot-one or 1.85 metres (compared to David Prowse, who is six-foot-seven or 2 metres), Hayden Christensen had to look through the mouthpiece of the Darth Vader costume, which itself featured shoe lifts and muscle suit. "Being inside makes you feel powerful and strong -- it's absolutely incredible", he recalls.
  • When the ship Anakin and Obi-Wan are on at the start begins firing on an enemy ship, there is some footage of explosions and people being thrown into the air. One of them screams a classic "Wilhelm scream".
  • In the battle on the Wookiee planet Kashyyyk, a distinctive Tarzan yell can be heard, just as in Episode VI, when Chewbacca and two Ewoks swing toward an Imperial Scout Walker on Endor.
  • Lucas confirmed in an interview that Steven Spielberg tinkered with several action sequences in ROTS. This happened when a project of his fell through and he had some spare time. Lucas sent over an animatics artist to assist him. It is rumored that the scenes he worked on included the Yoda/Palpatine battle and a part of the Mustafar duel.
  • Because the Revenge of the Sith novel was released two months before the premiere and the actual script was leaked on the Internet a few days later, the events depicted in the movie were no surprise for fans.
  • In one shot, shortly after recovering the chancellor from Grievous, the Millenium Falcon can be seen landing at the Senate bottom-right in the frame.
  • The Revenge of the Sith video game closely follows the film, but for reasons of gameplay greatly expands a number of the action sequences. After the completion of the movie plotline the game unlocks a level that allows the player to go back and replay the final duel from Skywalker's point of view. It's completion then unlocks an alternate short ending where the uninjured Darth Vader kills the Emperor and usurps control of the Galaxy. Plot elements shown in the game include Vader activating the Jedi beacon, killing the librarian Jocasta Nu, and dueling with Cin Drallig and his Padawan Serra Keto (see Cameo Appearances below).
  • At Padme's funeral, Jar Jar and Boss Nass can be seen.
  • On Sunday 22 May 2005, at Hertfordshire, northern London, two British youths (a 20-year-old male and a 17-year-old female) attempted to re-create the many Star Wars sword fights with two fluorescent glass tubes with petrol. At some point of the "mock duel", one of the devices exploded, rushing the two to West Herts Hospital and blazing a small forest fire nearby as well as severe burns.

Cameo appearances

George Lucas makes a cameo appearance at the Coruscant Opera House. He is the blue faced being, named Baron Papanoida, that can be seen outside Palpatine's box. It marks Lucas's first and only appearance in any of the Star Wars films. His three children also play cameos: Jett as a young Jedi-in-training called Zett Jukassa at the Jedi Temple, his daughter Amanda as a character called Terr Taneel, seen in the security hologram, and Katie as a blue-skinned alien called Chi Eekway, visible when Palpatine arrives at the Senate after being saved by the Jedi and talking to Baron Papanoida at the Opera House.

Much of the crew make cameos in the film, for example Nick Gillard, the stunt coordinator, plays a character named Cin Drallig (his name spelled backwards). Also in the movie was Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett in the original Trilogy), who played Captain Colton, the pilot of the Rebel Blockade Runner Tantive IV. This was a speaking role.

Rating

Existing ratings:


DVD Release

DVD release date is set for November 8th, 2005. Included in the DVD will be many deleted scenes and special documentaries made specially for this DVD, along with an exclusive bonus music video featuring John Williams.

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